Frankly Speaking with Tunde Abatan,
08165660217
tunde2013abatan@gmail.com
President Muhammadu Buhari likes success, no matter how such noble attainment is achieved. He craves it both by his pronouncements and attitude.
But it is doubtful whether by his actions and philosophy of governance since he came to power six years ago,he is working towards it .
Buhari
It is also doubtful whether he is aware whether he has fundamental mind- set shortcomings which within the circumstances of his office and environment, is a hinderance to the attainment of success at the end of his tenure.
Abba Kyari
It is also doubtful whether his own definition of success is relative to the innate aspirations of the diverse elements who voted him into office six years ago.
Thus, when he declared last week that he won’t end up as a failure after serving two terms of eight years as President , it is a soul searching for him and those who are propping him up.
Grazing Reserves:
One of the several policy misteps which has greeted his tenure and has contributed a lot to the mindless blood letting in the country without any sign that such will abate now or in the nearest future is his natural tendency to move the country backward in policy directions and governance.
This is so because rather that listening to the cries of citizens and state governors who have had to tell him that Open grazing has become archaic and outdated in this time and age, he has decided to find another way round it. It is obvious that he is doing this rather painfully either to please his normadic kinsmen both within and outside the country or for some other unclear and unexplained motives. It is clear as crystal ball that in concept and execution,the backward policies on grazing may continue the acrimony between the herdsmen and lawful farmers in several communities all over the country.
It is strange that to every of his projects or policy actions that Nigerians have kicked against, he always want to find a way arround it or pursue such even if it is injurious and against the cohesion, unity and development of the country.
The battle against banning of open grazing by the state governments in the Southern part of the country, came as a result of the federal governments resolve to find a way round the widespread opposition to the Ruga scheme which was earlier widely rejected all over the country as a result of the well founded suspicion sorrounding the motive for such a venture.
In May this year,17 governor’s from the southern part of the country met and among the twelve point communique issued was the ban on open grazing which is a way to stop the herders farmers clash which is threatening the peace and unity of the country.
Yet,that paid agents and Presidency and state government spokesman came out to kick against the resolve of the Southern governor’s is an indication that the government either has no respect for the people it is ruling or believes it has the unquestionable authority in a federal democracy to impose its Will by all means possible.
This action is an indication and a clear demonstration that President Buhari prefer taking the nation backward and foisting a matter which has been settled with the 1978 Land Use Act which vested control of lands in the different parts of the country in state governors.
It also goes to show that the presidency and the geopolitical interest it represents and is protesting over the years, has no regard for other constituent units which made up the federation.
This again, is a prove of a government that prefers taking the country backward and not reinventing it for harmony and cohesion as it is normal for any forward looking heterogenous country striving to perfect it’s shortcomings.
Again,to show it’s dexterity at going backwards on issues that have long been settled, Presidency again came out to announce President Buharis approval of the review, with dispatch, of 368 grazing routes across the 25 states of the country to determine the level of enroachment.
The government by this is referring to the National Grazing Reserve laws of 1965 with 2.7 million hectares of land covered by 141 gazette’s. This is in spite of the Land Use Decree of 1978.
It is rather ironical too that this development is coming at a time when two governor’s from the Northern states of Kano and Katsina, the president’s home state, came out openly to announce alternatives to Open Grazing through the much touted Ranching which has become accepted practice all over the world.
Indeed, Kano State governor,Dr Ibrahim Ganduje announced gleefully his governments on- going Ranch project in the state with an advice that other states especially in the North where herders clashes have become the norm,to borrow a leaf.
Two weeks ago,Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina state banned open grazing in his state with an announcement that his government has commenced construction of a big ranch that will accommodate cattle rearers and help put an end to bloody clashes between herders and farmers both there and the south.
His project, he said is being funded with a N6billion grant from the federal government.
The question you ask is for who or what purpose is President Buhari trying to secure grazing routes .?
Dr Ajibola Bashiru, senator and spokesman of the Senate puts it more succinctly in a paper he presented titled: “No law on Grazing Routes in Nigeria either North or South.” He said the law on grazing reserves recognized as a state law in the 1999 constitution actually criminalized open grazing.
He added that the grazing reserve laws are only applicable and enforceable in those states created from the former Northern Region that choose to adopt same as part of their revised laws like Kwara,Bauchi and Katsina state….recalled that the latter last month outlawed open grazing.
Senator Ajibola contended that, “rather than making reference to laws that do not exist or not applicable,what is required and should be pursued by our great party,the APC as the way forward to address the issue of farmers and herdsmen crisis, is to adopt, promote and finance the modern animal husbandry by way of ranches and modern grazing reserve”
Bashiru has a word for President Buhari.
Said he,”As a patriot,who swore to uphold the constitution and in view of the apparent interest of Nigeria,it is pertinent to say that neither in the North nor in the South is there a law creating grazing routes either as a state law or federal law.It is rather unfortunate that our President has been misadvised on this matter”.
Dr Pogu,a prominent member of the Niger Delta group,PANDEF declared, “Now we have a president who is taking us backward by trying to impose open grazing on a state like Nigeria which is untenable.”
On this,Benue state governor, Samuel Ortom,whose state has been under the firing line of herders men and bandits in the last five years, tactically supported by the state actors, has a word for President Buhari.
As for him” any cattle agenda through grazing reserves or any other thing different from ranching,he should be ready to kill everybody in Benue state” .
He added that the decision of Buhari,”is capable of plunging the country into an avoidable crisis(we are in it already). Ortom said that the President was not worried about millions of Nigerians who have been displaced following attacks by armed herders.
Said he,”In a country where insecurity has reached an all time high, with hundreds being killed by armed herdsmen, bandits and other terrorists,the Presidency is only bordered about animals and their safety.He does not seem to be worried about the food crisis already ravaging the country.Farmers have been chased into IDP camps by herders and children are dying of starvation in addition to being denied education.yet what is more important to them is the well being of cows”.
As for Afenifere leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, the best option for the President in these situation, is to throw in the towel.
“If he has self respect,he should have gone by now because everything has fallen.what is he presiding over.is it over corruption,security,
education?
Law and order has broken down in the country for the past three years.”
Abba Kyari saga:
Yet,in spite of this glaring shortcomings,it would appear that the President is only interested in taking the country backward all in his attempt to work towards an answer preferable to him in the circumstances of the nations myriad of problems even when all facts points to culpability of his men or against the grain of reason .
Since the scandal of culpability and aiding fraudsters preferred against ,Deputy Commissioner of Police,DCP,Abba Kyari came into public discourse, the normal kid gloves consistent with President Buharis attitude to favourite public officers and appointees especially of Northern extraction has continued and indeed assumed a state policy.
Although, the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, on the promptings and approval of Police Service Commission,PSC, did set up a Special Investigative Panel,SIP, headed by Deputy IG Joseph Egbunike,to probe Kyaris alleged involvement in a $1.1 million internet fraud linked to Instagram influencer,Abbas Ramon submitted it’s report last week, a new turn of events appeared to have put spanners in the report even when it is yet to be studied by police authorities..
The PSC in the characteristic manner of the government, set up another panel to study documents related to the suspended Head of intelligence response team,(IRT).
Is it not surprising that in an action portraying an agency acting on a prepared script, the PSC commissioner for media,Austin Braimoh, declared that it is not bound to accept the report of the SIP, same police agency, and that the commission had constitutional mandate to investigate any police officer from a constable to the DIG.
This time around, the PSC review panel is headed by Tijani Mohammed ,a,lawyer,Director of Police Discipline.
He was sworn in by Ismail Mohammed Permanent secretary to the commission.
The commission Braimoh stated further,could consider requesting for the Federal Bureau of Investigation,FBI report, “if there is any need for it”.
The report of the panel is expected to assist the commission.
It is quite apparent that like the Grazing Reserve agenda,the government is battling on all fronts to acquit it’s own, even when the FBI has maintained it’s position in court.
It is also apparent that the Buhari government decides what to belief in so far as it is in consonance with its objective.
The policy of working to an answer is from the above consistent with a man who swore to be fair to all and sundry but has succeeded in elevating clanishnes and ethnic bigotry to a level never experienced in Nigeria.
By the attitude to governance, he will also succeed in bequeathing a precedence in injustice and bad governance to a nation that has been severally abused on all fronts by myopic,selfish and vision less leaders .
This ironically, represents an attitude which he and his party promised to revert before being elected.
His style and impunity which is at variance with decency,mutual trust and civility is obviously what he will be remember for.
Posterity beckons!
